Chapter 9: Life-saving Twisted Dough
"Could it really be just as An Bulang said...?"
Liu Peng spoke with difficulty, shame written across his face.
"Did we wrong him?" Though an Aristocratic Clan young master was freezing all over, his face still burned hot.
Xu Linghui's face was full of terror. "What do we do? What are we supposed to do...?"
"Xun Zilan is the Jade Sword Sect's chief disciple. His cultivation is profound—he'll definitely have a solution!"
"That's right! Brother Xun Zilan, you have to save us!"
Coming to their senses, everyone turned pleading gazes toward the distinguished-looking man.
However, Xun Zilan had no time to care about them. He had long since begun meditating on his own, desperately suppressing the rampaging Yin energy within his body.
This Yin energy was faint, yet its purity was terrifyingly high. It had even begun threatening his life!
"An Bulang... I... I feel like something is wrong inside my body too..." Ji Hongxue's face was deathly pale, waves of cold breath spilling from her mouth.
She had drunk the tea as well—before An Bulang had said there was something wrong with it. Though she had not drunk much, terrifying Yin energy was still rampaging within her body.
An Bulang was still eating Spicy Twisted Dough. He pulled out a small twisted dough stick and held it before Ji Hongxue. "Don't panic. Eat some Spicy Twisted Dough to calm your nerves. You'll be fine once you're done."
Ji Hongxue froze. Eating twisted dough to treat this terrifying Yin energy? If anyone else had spoken to her like that at such a life-or-death moment, she would have slapped them across the face without hesitation. But if An Bulang said it...
Half believing and half doubting, she accepted the Spicy Twisted Dough, parted her red lips, put the twisted dough into her mouth, chewed quickly, and swallowed it.
All of a sudden, a supremely pure, blazing current surged through her body, crushing the rampaging Yin energy like rotten wood and dead weeds before purifying it.
"Mm..."
Ji Hongxue let out a comfortable moan, an unusual flush blooming across her fair cheeks.
It felt too good. Her whole body was warm and cozy.
It was clearly powerful enough to melt even that terrifying Yin energy, yet it did not harm her body at all. Instead, it gave her an indescribably wonderful sense of comfort.
Almost instantly, the Yin energy was swept away entirely.
Ji Hongxue's beautiful eyes widened. Even though she had been mentally prepared, An Bulang's move still shocked her.
"How was that? I didn't lie to you, did I?" An Bulang said cheerfully.
Ji Hongxue nodded repeatedly, wanting to speak but stopping, stopping but wanting to speak. "Um... could you give me another Spicy Twisted Dough?"
Laughing heartily, An Bulang gave the woman beside him another one.
Ji Hongxue eagerly began eating the twisted dough again, only to discover that she no longer felt that wonderfully cozy warmth spreading through her entire body.
"You... your twisted dough is different!" She glared at An Bulang with feigned anger. Her delicate, jade-fair face was deeply flushed, autumn waves rippling in her almond eyes. That fleeting charm was quite pleasing to the eye.
An Bulang extended his hand toward Ji Hongxue, smiling without quite smiling. "Are you stupid? What use is eating twisted dough? The key is the power in my hand. Why don't you let me touch your hand, then I'll channel some power into you and make you feel good again..."
Ji Hongxue understood An Bulang's unspoken meaning, and her chest trembled with anger. "Pervert!"
"I'll let you touch me... just give me that power."
A weak, timid voice suddenly sounded.
An Bulang and Ji Hongxue both froze.
A pretty girl in green, cold air rising from her entire body, staggered painfully before An Bulang. Shivering from head to toe, she pleaded, "Please, I know I was wrong. Please save me. You can touch me for as long as you want..."
An Bulang: "..."
Ji Hongxue: "..."
"You want to take advantage of Lord Bulang? Get lost!" An Bulang snapped. "I'd rather touch Ji Hongxue than touch you."
Ji Hongxue: "???"
Xu Linghui looked wronged and humiliated, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Yet she did not dare talk back and could only gaze at An Bulang pitifully.
Several seconds later, An Bulang slowly handed a piece of Spicy Twisted Dough to Xu Linghui and said coldly, "Eat it."
Xu Linghui trembled all over and hurriedly accepted the Spicy Twisted Dough, swallowing it.
The next instant, a warm current rose from her lower abdomen and surged throughout her body, instantly clearing away the terrifying Yin energy inside her completely.
"Thank you... thank you so much..." Xu Linghui could finally speak smoothly again. Her beautiful eyes shone brightly as she thanked the White-robed Youth with deep gratitude.
Seeing this, everyone else rushed before An Bulang, apologizing repeatedly and begging him to bestow Spicy Twisted Dough upon them to save their lives.
"Save me! Brother An Bulang, I was wrong—please save me!"
"I was in the wrong before. If you save me, I will repay you handsomely..."
"My dog eyes looked down on people. Please, be magnanimous and forgive a petty man like me—just give me some twisted dough! Or you can touch me if you want!" a burly man wailed.
Touch your damn duck!
An Bulang was so angry he nearly sent them on their way ahead of schedule.
Still, he was not some ruthless man. He would not stand by and watch them die merely because they had mocked and disrespected him a few times. Seeing how fiercely they clung to life, and that they had apologized sincerely, he casually tossed them some twisted dough.
The crowd received the Spicy Twisted Dough as if they were cradling life-saving immortal pills, continuously stuffing it into their mouths.
Sure enough, the effects of the Spicy Twisted Dough were immediate. The Cold Power raging in everyone's stomachs was instantly scattered and purified by the warm current, and that warm, comfortable sensation made them feel as if they had been reborn.
This miraculous scene utterly convinced them of An Bulang's ability, leaving not the slightest trace of their former disrespect.
Looking at Xun Zilan, who was still meditating to drive out the cold, then at An Bulang, who had resolved the cold poison with effortless ease, the difference between them was obvious at a glance.
Everyone's impression of An Bulang was overturned once more. He had gone from being the princess's ignorant little guard, one who did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth, to an unfathomable cultivator. No wonder Ji Hongxue valued him so highly. This move alone had already proven how extraordinary he was!
Xun Zilan barely managed to suppress the frigid poison within his body before opening his eyes, shock and confusion on his face.
Though he had been desperately suppressing the cold poison, he still knew everything that had happened outside. The way he looked at An Bulang immediately changed. "What you said was actually true. Why did you know there was Yin energy in the tea? Why didn't the other experts of my sect know...?"
Hearing such an idiotic question, An Bulang could not help rolling his eyes. "Why? Isn't that obvious? Because I'm awesome!"
Xun Zilan: "..."
"Wait, if everything Young Master An Bulang said was correct..." Liu Peng suddenly came to his senses, his eyes widening. "Then does that mean there really is a Heavenly Origin Realm Yin creature lying dormant within the Jade Sword Sect?"
As soon as those words fell, everyone felt a chill run through them.
"N-No way... How could such a terrifying existence exist in our Azure Kingdom?"
Xu Linghui turned her gaze toward An Bulang, wanting to see his reaction.
The three greatest cultivators in Azure Kingdom were all in the Spirit Attunement Realm. As for the Heavenly Origin Realm, one realm higher, even the mighty Soaring Dragon Empire possessed only an exceedingly small number—at most no more than ten—and they were all old monsters from the major cultivation sects.
Why would such a terrifying existence lie dormant within the Jade Sword Sect?
Just then, a man drenched in blood, his skin covered in frost and dressed in a white Daoist robe, rushed into the great hall in utter terror and shouted at Xun Zilan, "Senior Disciple Brother, this is bad! Master has been taken away by a monster!"